A series of eclectic performances starting at the end of January and running through mid-March will be presented at the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Bath. The shows will take place in the CCAC Annex, adjacent to the main theater.
Johnny Ater Submitted photo
The first performance, on Saturday, Jan. 29, will be a night of standup comedy, headlined by Johnny Ater. A lifelong Mainer, Ater offers up hilarious and honest stories about life, family, relationships, and his colorful local friends, whom he brings to life on stage for all to meet. Joining Ater for the performance will be fellow comedians Dawn Hartill, Keith Hebert, and Mark Turcotte.
Heather Pierson Submitted photo
On Saturday, Feb. 12, nationally touring pianist, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Heather Pierson will perform with her acoustic trio. The group bring their quiet charm and down-to-earth honesty to a catalog spanning the music of New Orleans, the valleys of Appalachia, and everywhere in between. With their “traveling music store” of instruments, the trio delivers heartfelt music with brilliant musicianship and stellar three-part vocal harmonies. Their last album, 2017’s “Singin’,” debuted at No. 1 on the Folk radio charts and was the No. 11 album for the year on those charts.
Jud Caswell Submitted photo
Folk songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jud Caswell will play the following week on Friday, Feb. 18. A seventh-generation Mainer, Caswell burst onto the national scene in 2006 with a win at the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition, where his song “Blackberry Time” was hailed by songwriting guru Pat Pattison as a “perfect song.” A talented multi-instrumentalist, Caswell wields his guitar, banjo, whistle, and cittern over a variety of genres and styles.
Erica Brown Submitted photo
The series will close on Friday, Feb. 25, with a show from Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection. Brown has been a working musician since the age of nine, when she traveled New England and Canada with the Maine French Fiddlers. Since then, she has competed in and won numerous fiddle contests, and opened shows for the likes of Dwight Yoakam and Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. With the Bluegrass Connection, Brown performs traditional and original bluegrass music, complete with glorious vocal harmonies and stunning musicianship.
All performances will be subject to CCAC’s current COVID-19 related policy, which requires audience members age 12 and up to be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours prior to arriving at a performance, along with a matching photo ID. Masks will also be required for all attendees at all times at shows in the Annex, and capacity will be limited to 80 audience members.
The Chocolate Church Arts Center is located at 804 Washington St., Bath. More information and tickets for all events at the Chocolate Church Arts Center are available for purchase at www.chocolatechurcharts.org, or by calling the box office at 207-442-8455.
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